Archbishop Welby has urged MPs to consider the consequences of military intervention in Syria

The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned MPs not to rush in their decision on whether to vote for military intervention in the Syria conflict.

Ahead of Thursday's early return to Parliament, The Most Rev Justin Welby said he feared the possible consequences of intervention saying they were 'beyond description and horrible'.

He said: 'The things which MPs will have to bear in mind in what is going to be a very, very difficult debate is firstly: are we sure about the facts on the ground?

'Secondly: Is it possible to have a
carefully calibrated response including armed force, if you are sure
about the facts on the ground, that does not have unforeseeable
ramifications across the whole Arab and Muslim world?

'I
have had a lot of conversations with people in the region. I think the
overwhelming sense is of a really moving and terrible sense of fear
about what might come out of, what might be happening in the next few
weeks - not predicated on people doing one thing or people doing
another, just a sense that this a terribly, terribly dangerous time,' he
told the Daily Telegraph.

Archbishop Welby, who visited the region in June, said the situation had deteriorated since his visit.

He
said 'I think it has got worse since then. I can scarcely remember a
time of being in meetings where there was such a sense of apprehension.

Share this article

'I
mean it was tangible, this sense of "What will happen? What will be the
impact on us?"....the impact on people not directly involved in the
fighting is beyond description and horrible'.

Debate: David Cameron has ordered MPs to make an early return to Westminster from their summer recess to vote on Syria

He added: 'I am extremely conscious
of my own lack of knowledge having spent a lot of time in the area over
the years very much in the reconciliation area, so dealing with the
people involved in these things.

'I am deeply, deeply aware of the enormous complexity and inter-linkedness of everything that happens there.'

He
acknowledged, however, that the Government was better informed than he,
making clear that he had no sense that politicians were 'slavering' to
'unleash the dogs of war'.

Grim toll: A picture shows the aftermath of the chemical weapons attack in Damascus last week

Advertisement

Share or comment on this article:

Archbishop of Canterbury warns military action in Syria would have 'unforeseeable consequences' across the Muslim world